As I lay on the Infirmary bunk, a single though kept running through my head.

Potential assassination.

Why? Why would somepony want Nimbus dead? What was she involved in?

I looked over at my bunk mate. Nimbus was staring up at the ceiling. I couldn't see why. The Infirmary was like what one would expect of a military hospital. The walls were built of cinder brick and panted a slate gray, completely unadorned without any kind of decoration whatsoever. It was completely utilitarian in its design, but at least the beds were semi-comfortable and clean.

I rolled over and poked her with a hoof. “Hey, you're going to tell me what's going on and you're going to tell me now.”

“Why should I?”

I snorted. “Because I saved your life.”

She was silent for a moment. “This is my burden to bear.”

“Wrong! This was your burden, but, now I'm involved.”

“I didn't ask you to protect me. I told you I didn't need protection.”

“And I told you that I'm your friend. That means I will protect you whenever you do something boneheaded.”

She sighed in resignation. “There are some...problems...in my family.”

“So what? Everypony has family problems.”

She gave me a level stare. “Oh? Your brother sends hitponies after you too?”

I shook my head. “What are you talking about?”

“I'm from the Cumulus clan.”

“I've heard of them.”

“Then you've heard of our inheritance issues. Too many children, not enough assets. Everypony gets a fair share but any idiot knows that a fair share of very little is next to nothing. My mother really just inherited the house we live in and a few acres of land for farming. The amount of money she got was laughable and it was mostly gone within a few months. My siblings recognized that they'll get practically nothing. Soar, my oldest brother, would have gotten the house and the land.”

I felt my ears fold back. “What do you mean 'would have'?”

Nimbus ran a hoof through what was left of her mane, wincing when it grazed a bandage. “There was an...accident. A stray thunderhead and a bolt of lightning that struck him while he was flying. We think the bolt was what killed him, but he hit the ground so hard, there really wasn't any way to tell. Funny thing was, Skyy, my sister, was nearby when it happened.”

“Oh, horseapples.”

“Horseapples is right. We had no evidence that she had anything to do with it but she's always been cunning and devious. She tried to smother me when I was still a foal. Mom and Dad wrote it off as a little filly not realizing what she was doing but I was told that, shortly thereafter, I was moved into their bedroom and they always watched me closely when she was around.”

Gauze came in to check on us. She was an old-school field medic, or so I had heard, and wasn't much of a talker. Efficiency was the name of the game for her as she moved about, checking wounds and changing bandages. Then, just as silently as she came, she was gone. I didn't understand why she couldn't have said at least a few words. It wasn't like the Infirmary was busy. It was just Nim and I and some random colt who had broken his leg on the obstacle course. I rolled my eyes at the kid's moans and whimpers. It was like he had never been hurt before.

“Why you? What would you inherit?”

Nimbus shrugged, “A few bits, just enough for a piss-poor dowry. I might get a title if the cards line up right. As the youngest, I was the easiest to eliminate. What little I stood to get would be distributed among the rest of my siblings.”

“If you're in that much danger, why not hire a bodyguard?”

She gave a short bark of a laugh. “We don't have that kind of money. It's funny. We're fighting over scraps. There's almost nothing left but everypony wants it for themselves.”

“This is madness. How is it that nopony's intervened?”

“It's been kept quiet, sort of a dark family secret.”

“Dark is right. Sweet Celestia, how did you manage to survive this long?”

“By being tough. That's why I live as carelessly as I do. Tomorrow could be my last day and, even if I end up killing myself, it's better than being killed by one of my siblings.”

I shook my head. “You have one bucked-up family.”

“Don't I know it.”

The door to the infirmary opened and Instructor Line marched in, followed by Head Instructor Striker The two gave the Nimbus and I a passing glance and proceeded to Doctor Gauze.

“How are they,” Striker asked Gauze.

“It looks like Gust took the worst of it. She has a very mild concussion, a dislocated wing, and a few broken ribs as well as several contusions and lacerations on her head, face, and muzzle. Kicker fared a little better but not by much. A massive scalp laceration behind her right ear which I've already sutured, a dislocated shoulder, a cracked hoof, and several contusions around her throat.”

“Recommendations.” Striker was a pony of few words.

“Kicker's fine to be released but she shouldn't do any physical activities for the next week or so. In fact, I'd rather she not walk anywhere. Gust's concussion has me a little worried so I want to keep her overnight. After that, a week of rest for her, no flying whatsoever, and I want her to return for reevaluation.”

Striker nodded. That was one of the nice things about the Instructors of West Hoof. Though they had advanced first-aid training, they were not doctors and knew it. When Gauze made a recommendation, they paid attention.

“Just as well,” Striker replied. “We intend to have Kicker confined to quarters for the time being.”

“I beg your pardon, sir?”

He turned to me. “Seems you've made dangerous enemies. Old family habit from back in the day. Don't want you going anywhere unescorted. Safest place for you is quarters. Cadet Season has volunteered to escort you, though I think he was just looking for a way to get out of lectures.”

“Sir, if I'm confined to quarters, how can I attend lectures?”

“You can't. Whole point is to keep you in a safe place where we can easily find you until we get to the bottom of this.”

“If I'm not allowed to leave quarters, sir, where will Typhoon be escorting me?”

“Latrine and any other necessary engagements. He will be on six hour rotation with your brother.”

“What about Nimbus, sir? Who will escort her?”

Striker blinked, “Cadets Season and Kicker will be moved to sentry duty on six hour rotation while you will be escorted by an Instructor to whatever necessary engagements the two of you might have. For now, Instructor Line will escort you back to quarters where you will rendezvous with Cadet Season.”

Slowly, I got out of the bed. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest as I limped behind Line. Fortunately for me, she decided to ride the elevator instead of making me climb the three flights of stairs up to my floor. That degree of exertion was a bit beyond me.

As we neared the door to my quarters, I could see Typhoon standing before it. His head and ears swiveled constantly as he scanned for threats. He was the picture of relaxed vigilance. He spotted us and came to attention, snapping off a salute. Line returned it and I tried, I really did, but I just couldn't raise my fore leg up high enough.

“Don't worry about it, Kicker.” Line assured me. “I think, given the circumstances, we can overlook that formality.”

“I relieve you, Instructor Line.”

“I stand relieved, Cadet Season. Cadet Wind Kicker is in your custody now. See to it that her needs are seen to and that you do not quit your post until properly relieved by Cadet Tornado Kicker at 1200 hours and that you report again for duty at 1800 hours.”

“Aye, ma'am. Instructions received and understood.”

Line turned to me. “Cadet Kicker, you are not to leave quarters unless escorted by Cadet Season, Cadet Kicker, or myself. Is that understood?”

I nodded, “Yes, ma'am.”

As Line left, I felt somepony slip beneath me and lift me up. “What the-! Ty! Put me down!”

“Negative. Doctor's orders are that you are not to walk anywhere. I saw you limping there. You're hurting.” He opened the door and carried me into the room.

“I'm touched that you care that much about my personal comfort but I think I'm capable of walking twelve feet under my own power.”

He lifted me off of his back and laid me down in the bed. “Do you need anything? Water? Pain Relievers?”

I smiled and shook my head. “No, Ty. I'm fine.”

“I'll be right outside...if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Ty.”

He gave a single nod and left, closing the door behind him. I rolled over, closed my eyes, and immediately fell asleep.

x----x

I don't know how long I had been asleep when I heard the door open again. I opened my eyes and saw a rather awkwardly-shaped silhouette slip into the room. I reached over and turned the bedside lamp on. My brother, in the process of carrying Nimbus to her bed, froze.

“Sorry, Wind. Didn't mean to wake you.”

Nimbus rested limply on his back, eyes half-open. “Is she okay?”

He nodded. “They figured she was stable enough to release early, but not before pumping her with enough drugs to drop a full-grown manticore. I doubt she even knows her own name.”

I got out of bed and checked her. Her breathing was regular and her pulse was stable but she was completely unresponsive. “Let me help you.”

“I'm fine. Just get the blanket.”

I pulled the blanket back and helped Tor lift Nimbus into the bed, being careful not to lay her on her injured side. Glancing out the door, I noticed somepony was missing. “Where's Ty?”

“Probably sleeping or, maybe playing with himself. I relieved him about an hour ago. Don't worry, sis, your colt friend will be back soon.”

“My what?”

“Your colt friend.”

“Whoa, whoawhoawhoa, Ty is not my colt friend.”

Tor shot me a horseapples look. “If you say so.”

“It's true.”

“Sure thing, Wind. Do you need anything?”

“A new brother. Mine's about to have a serious accident,” I growled.

“'Ave onna 'ine,” Nimbus mumbled, blinking slowly.

Tor nodded. “I'll be outside then.”

As he closed the door, I ran a hoof through Nim's mane, mindful of the bandages. “How are you feeling?”

She let out a low whine.

“Do you need anything?”

“Mmm-mmm.” She was beginning to drift back out again.

“You'll feel better in the morning.”

She sighed and fell back to sleep. Between the pain from my injuries, the excitement of the day, the worry over Nimbus and what her bucked-up clan would pull next, and the fact that I had already slept a great deal, I found myself restless.

I turned on my desk lamp and opened my psychology book. I had profiled Nimbus' would-be assassin as a jilted lover and I had been wrong. Perhaps if I had been more accurate in my perception, I would have been able to do something and we wouldn't have been in the positions we were.

I poured over my memories of the past few days. I paid attention to the assassin's actions and Nimbus' reactions. She hadn't appeared overly afraid until the day after, when she began to act paranoid. Perhaps her confidence originated from being in such a public place.

It didn't matter. The assassin was dead. Now, what I needed to do was to find out who sent the killer after her and make sure this didn't happen again. Perhaps if I found a way to fake her death, then her family would be notified and...

No, that only worked in bad mystery novels. There were so many consequences and potential buck-ups that I wouldn't be able to foresee all of them. Perhaps if I could convince Nim to renounce her family and give up her inheritance.

No, there were too many consequences to that route also.

Luna damn it all. Were we to spend the rest of our lives living in fear? Sure, I wasn't a member of the Cumulus clan so I stood to gain nothing. I had my lifelong training and the power of the Kicker clan behind me but what did Nimbus have? She had only me and what was I against an unceasing march of trained killers-for-hire?

An idea popped into my head. Nimbus had me and, by proxy, the power of the clan. Since the days of Shadow, any pony who wished to join the clan had to relinquish all titles and inheritances. If Nimbus stood to gain nothing and had the protection of the clan as a Kicker, she would be safe.

There were only two ways this could be done. She either had to be adopted into the clan, which was unlikely as the clan only adopted orphans and she wasn't an orphan, or she had to marry a clanspony. That was the best avenue.

She had already shown affection to Tor, who was obviously interested in her judging by the way he had acted the day before. Then again, Nim was attractive and Tor was a stallion. Two plus two was four.

I had no choice. I had to get my brother to marry Nimbus if I was to protect her. I had to play matchmaker.

I was screwed.

Author's Note

Thanks to Chengar Qordath for the help he's given. Truly a stand-up brony.